Former Supervisor Remembered for No-Nonsense Approach

Jack Wise, a former member of the , remembers his colleague Frank Mahr as the board's forthright negotiator, the one who would often take the helm when the township brokered deals.

"He was no-nonsense," Wise said. "He believed in what he believed in, and he meant what he said. As a board, we didn't hesitate to do things that were going to be unpopular."

Mahr, who served on the Board of Supervisors from 1984 to 1990, died Wednesday at Heritage Valley Sewickley. He was 84 years old.

Mahr, a resident of Moon Township for nearly 40 years, became involved in local government in 1984 when he ran for the board alongside fellow Democrats Wise and the late Clara Shemmers. When they ran for office, the trio dubbed themselves the A Team, taking a cue from the popular television show of the time.

"He got involved because he liked to help people," said Norma Jean Mahr, his wife of 44 years.

Mahr was born in Coraopolis, where he attended high school and lived until relocating to Moon Township. Besides his wife, his daughter, Candice, survives him.

Wise said Mahr, a member of the United Steelworkers union and employee of LTV Steel, would often put his negotiating skills to use, helping the township reach deals with its police and public works department unions. He later worked in security at the Pittsburgh International Airport, his wife said.

Former township manager Greg Smith, who served under Mahr, said he remembers the former supervisor as "a very vocal, very passionate person."

"He had worked in the steel industry, and he would kind of take a common person's approach to how he saw things," Smith said.

"He was very passionate about how he saw things and how he wanted to have things," he said. "I give him a lot of credit for that. He was a person who really wanted to shape things in the community."

Wise, then an appointed township supervisor, said he met Mahr in 1982 as he was running his own bid for the Pennsylvania Legislature—Mahr helped him knock on doors throughout much of the 28th district. When the campaign failed to secure Wise a seat in the legislature, the two turned their eyes on a run for the Board of Supervisors.

"We thought at the time Moon Township is not moving ahead," Wise said. "We said if we get elected we're going to change the atmosphere in Moon Township so people will want to live here and move here."

He said he credits Mahr with helping the township negotiate multiple contracts as well as help in with the establishment  MCA-TV.

Family and friends gathered to remember Mahr during a Saturday afternoon service at Huntsman Funeral Home. Memorial contributions can be made to the Coraopolis American Legion, of which Mahr was a member, at P.O. Box 472,  Moon, PA 15108.